Cradle lock for gun carriages



Jan. 22 1924. 1,481,644 a. P. JOYCE CRADLE LOCK FOR GUN CARRIAGES Filed Sept. 6, 1923 i3 {Iii EEHaTL'RJ HcE dummy Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES BRYAN P. JOYCE, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

CRADLE LOOK FOR GUN CARRIAGES.

Application filed September 6, 1928. Serial No. 661,264.

(FILED UN-DER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. BRYAN P. Joron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, county of Scott, and State of Iowa, have invented an Improvement in Cradle Locks for Gun Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of Work for the Government, or b any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The present invention relates to cradle locks for gun carriages.

In certain types of guns in order that the load of the dipping and traversing parts be removed from the elevating and traversing mechanism it is necessary on the march to lock the gun in what is known as traveling position.

The primary object of this invention then is to provide means for securely locking the gun carriage in traveling position.

Another object is to prevent excessive wear upon the traversing or elevating mechanism by providing a locking means which in travel serves as auxiliary supporting means for the gun and its cradle.

Other and further objects of thi invention will be obvious as the disclosure procoeds.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the recise embodiment of the invention herein isclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gun carriage and the cradle partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the cradle lock; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view in side elevation partly in section of one of the lugs upon the gun carriage with its adjustable cam.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

For the sake of illustration I have shown a gun barrel 5 pivotally mounted by means of trunnions 8 on a cradle 6 and provided with a piston rod 7. The gun is provided with an. elevating are 10 meshing with a worm 11 upon an upper carriage 9 whereby the gun may be adjusted in a vertical plane and is further provided with a traversing worm .14 carried by an arm 13 which meshes with a traversing are 15 located on a lower carriage 12 whereby the gun may be adjusted in a horizontal plane.

The lower carriage 12 at its rear end is provided preferably with a pair of lugs 17.

ivotally mounted upon these lugs by means of a bolt 01' bolts 18 is a swinging member 16 which serves to lock the cradle in position on the un carriage when the carriage is prepared For travel. This swinging member 16 is preferably substantially triangular in shape and is provided at each side of its base with a pair of ears 19 which embrace the respective lugs 17 on the lower carriage. A bolt, or if desired, bolts 18 serves to pivotally connect the ears 19 with the lugs 17 on the carriage in a manner to be described hereafter.

At its upper end the triangular swinging member is preferably provided with a pair of cars 20 which embrace a depending lug 21 attached to the base of the gun cradle. The cars 20 and lug 21, respectively, in the preferred embodiment of the invention are provided with aligned apertures through which a bolt 22 passes. The bolt 22 is provided with a leaf spring 22 which frictionally and releasably maintains the bolt 22 in position.

The lugs 17 are provided with openin s 17' and within said openings is preferab y supported a rotatably adjusted cam memher or it more than one bolt 18 is used rotatably adjustable ram members 23, provided with an aperture or apertures 24 to receive the bolt or bolts 18. For the purpose of locking said cam member in adjusted position any suitable locking means may be emp-loye In practice I have found that described hereinafter very efiicient.

The cam 23 is provided with spaced peripheral grooves 26. About the periphery of the openmgs 17' in the lugs 17 g are lopated other spaced grooves 27. A'key member or key members 25 is used to cooperatewith the grooves 26 and 27 to lock the cam member 23 in any desired position, the/key 25 being used selectively with any one of the grooves 26 and with any one of the grooves 27. A very fine adjustment of the cam member or members may be obtained by spacing the grooves on the lugs 17 at a dilferent distance apart from those on the periphery of the cam member so that a verniereifect may be obtained.

Upon rotation of the cam member or members 23 the position of the opening or openings 24 therein with respect to the lugs 17 is changed and the position of the bolt or bolts 18 mounted in said openings consequently changed. In this manner the angular position of the swinging member may be varied and the distance between the cradle and the gun carriage consequently adjusted so as to compensate for any wear on the traversing or elevating mechanism or any slight distortion due to firing or any other causes and so as to position the swinging member 16 where it will be most efiicie'nt as an auxiliary supporting means.

From the description given it is obvious that the swinging member 16 serves both as a locking member and an auxiliary support and actsto take up some of the strain upon the gun carriage.

While the cam member 23 has been described. as located within the lugs 17 it is obvious that it might as readily be mounted in the lug21 and accomplish the same result.

When it' is desired to place the gun in its firingposition. the spring latch 22 is released and the bolt 22 withdrawn from its engaz-"izient with lug21 and ears 20, when h swinging member may be swung down- "lly on the pivot member 18. To pre- -.erit the bolt 22 from being lost I employ a chain 28, by which the bolt 22 is permanently attached to the swinging member.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, apertured lugs on said cradle and said g'un carriage, a swinging member, pivot members mounted in said apertured lugs for attaching said swinging member at one end to saidcradle and at the other end to said gun carriage, a cam member mounted in one of said lugs, an opening formed in said cam member, spaced grooves provided on the periphery of said cam member, spaced grooves provided about the aperture of said lug, a key adapted to cooperate electively with thegroove on said cam member and a groove in said lug to lock said cam member iii adjusted position, one of said pivot members being mounted in the opening of said cam member whereby with adjustment of said ,cam member the swingin member is adjusted to vary the distance l etween said cradle and said carriage.

2. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, lugs on said gun carriage and cradle, pivot members for mounting said swinging member on said lugs, a cam member adjustably mounted on one of said lugs, means for mounting one of said pivot members on said cam member, comprising an opening in said cam member in which said pivot member is mounted and means for locking said cam member in adjusted position.

3. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, lugs on said gun carriage and cradle, pivot members for mounting said swinging member on said lug, a cam adjustably mounted on one of said lugs, and means for mounting one of said pivot members on said cam member comprising an opening in said cam in which said pivot member is mounted.

4. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carii'iages, a swinging member, lugs on said gun carriage and on said cradle, pivot mem bers for mounting said swinging member on said lu s, a cam member supported by one of said lugs, means for mounting one of: said pivot members on said cam member, and means for locking said cam member in adjusted position.

5. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, lugs on'said gun carriage and onsaid cradle, pivot members for mounting said swinging member on said lugs, a cam member supported by one of said lugs and means for mounting one of said pivot members on said cam member.

6. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, lugs on said gun carriage and on said cradle, ivot members for pivotally mounting said swinging member on said lugs and a cam member for varying the position of said swinging memher with respect to said gun carriage and said cradle.

7. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, means for pivotally mounting said swinging member at opposite ends on said gun carriage and said cradle, and means cooperating with one of said pivoting means for adjusting the position of said swinging member with respect to said gun carriage and said cradle.

8. In an adjustable cradle lock for gun carriages, a swinging member, means for pivotally mounting said swinging member on said gun carriage and said cradle and means for ad'ustingthe position of said swinging mem er with respect to said gun airriage and said cradle.

BRYAN P. JoYc'n. 

